Get ready Bay Area—post-Christmas showers are gearing up to give your holiday a wet wrap-up, with two successive storm systems set to drench the region this week, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
The first rainfall, slated to hit Wednesday into Thursday, could tally up half an inch to two inches in the North Bay and a modest sub-inch count elsewhere; the latter deluge, lasting from late Thursday into Saturday, promises a more aggressive soak with potentially one to three inches along coastal ranges and a quarter to one inch inland, the NWS forecasts. Commuters taking to the post-holiday roads should heed the possibility of wet and slippery travel conditions, those looking to sail the seas will face choppy waters—small craft advisories are in place for several off-shore areas until Tuesday afternoon due to gusting winds and high seas ranging between 8 to 14 feet, warns the NWS.
For those with travel plans or marine activities, seasoned mariners advise against navigating these hazardous conditions, especially for the less experienced or those operating smaller vessels, per the NWS's X post update. Forecasts hint at an ongoing wet weather pattern well into early January, although precise details of the downpour's intensity and reach are yet to crystallize.
Two rain systems coming to the area after Christmas. First system arrives Wednesday with 0.5-2" in the North bay and less than 1" elsewhere. Second system late Thursday into Saturday could be more impactful. Stay tuned for updates! #CAwx pic.twitter.com/BOtCgSFyNQ
— NWS Bay Area 🌉 (@NWSBayArea) December 25, 2023
Yet, before the storm clouds crowd in, the Bay Area can savor a dry Christmas with mostly sunny skies and highs peeking from the comfy cradles of the upper 50s to mid-60s, says forecast.weather.gov. But let the clearing skies not deceive, for meteorologists warn that a "series of storms set to impact the region" will stir much breezier conditions come Tuesday ahead of the first bout of rain, as per the NWS's Area Forecast Discussion.
